The fuss over fuzz

Moustaches have become fashionable but many say the look is still associated with villains

His mother loathed his moustache so much, she offered visual artist Hariz Rosli $2,000 to shave it off four years ago.

The 27-year-old, who sports a curly growth on his upper lip, took the bribe.

"She kept complaining that it made me look old and untidy," he recalls.

But he then grew it back again and his mum has given up trying.

Mr Hariz says with a smile: "It was easy money."

Moustaches, it seems, are in vogue, say barber shops here.

Upscale "manscaping" shops are seeing strong demand for moustache-related products and services, such as shaves and styling.

For example, over the past year, We Need A Hero in Tiong Bahru has seen a 20 per cent jump in demand for its services, which include shaves (from $28) and moustache designing (from $15).

Its chief barber, Mr Quester Ng, 45, says: "Moustaches are becoming trendier and people are becoming more receptive to them.

These days, you can follow moustachioed models such as Joel Alexander and Ricki Hall on Instagram. Even superheroes like Iron Man have moustaches."

Says Mr Jerome Chee, 25, marketing manager of The Panic Room in Geylang: "We see customers walking in every day asking about our moustache-related products and services. With different designs and styles available, more young men are seeing moustaches as a way to express their personality."

The fuss over fuzz can also be traced to celebrities such as Ryan Gosling, Zac Efron and some members of the popular boyband One Direction, whose manicured bristles on fashion blogs and social media have won them fans.

Then there is Movember, a movement which celebrates the moustache.

The charity initiative encourages men to keep moustaches for a month in November to raise funds and awareness for men's health issues, such as prostate cancer and testicular cancer.

Started in Melbourne in 2003, Movember was launched in Singapore two years ago. Sign-ups for the annual movement have jumped from more than 2,000 in 2012 to more than 2,700 last year.

Mr Greg Rafferty, 38, who heads the movement in Asia, says: "We want to encourage people to see moustaches as a way to do good and start conversations about men's health. We want to put a good cause behind the moustache."

But some people are adamant that facial hair makes a man look slovenly or, worse, dishonest.

Image consultants, for instance, are loath for clients to, well, let it grow.

Says Ms Agnes Koh, 43, an etiquette, image and style consultant with Etiquette & Image International: "Moustaches can make the wearer look untidy, or suggest he has something to hide. There's simply too much cultural baggage regarding moustaches.

"Movies have long portrayed men with moustaches as villains, lechers or fugitives who escaped from prison."

Indeed, the moustache has been a dead giveaway of baddies since the silent movie era, when moustachioed villains were typically shown tying damsels onto railroad tracks.

Ming the Merciless from the 1980 movie Flash Gordon and Jafar the evil royal adviser from the 1992 Disney animated film Aladdin are among other whiskered villains who have left a deep - and bad - impression.

No wonder Ms Koh maintains: "Unless the client is in a creative field, I'd always advise him to shave the moustache off before interviews, business events or dates."

Talent agencies, too, say most clients prefer clean-shaven models for commercial and campaign shoots.

Says Ms Ice Sherry Lee, founder of Shine Models & Aphrodite Image Consultancy, who is in her 30s: "Most clients want the model to look neat, clean and fresh. They feel the public will relate better to a clean-cut guy than to someone with facial hair."

Adds Ms Bonita Ma, head booker of Basic Models Management who is in her 20s: "Only one in 20 clients ask for models to come unshaven for, say, a beer commercial, where the model is supposed to look rugged or tough."

Model Edward Russell, 25, who keeps about three days' worth of facial hair if he is left to his own devices, says: "For commercial shoots, I'm usually asked to shave before the shoot so that my character can be seen as approachable and nice. People with moustaches are still assumed to be lazy or unkempt."

Ms Koh agrees. While she applauds the Movember charity movement, she notes: "I doubt moustaches will ever become mainstream."

Mr Fadli Osman, 30, a barber who has kept a moustache for four years, is no stranger to curious looks. "People tend to stare at my moustache when they talk to me and I have to remind them that my eyes are up here," he says.

Not every guy who grows a mo has to battle predjudice, though.

Mr Alfred Ong, 51, managing director for Europe at Ascott, a home-grown company that operates serviced apartments, believes his moustache, which he began growing in June, has not put off any staff member or business associate.

Substance, after all, triumphs over style. "In business, when people know you, they know you. They don't care how you look," he asserts.

SHAVE IT

JAKE GYLLENHAAL, 33

Over the years, the actor has sprouted various moustaches, such as the iconic one he donned in Brokeback Mountain. But this latest one, spotted at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this month, says caveman rather than leading man. Scraggly and ungroomed, it is paired with a beard that threatens to take over his face. Lesson here: Pulling off a stylish laid-back look actually takes a lot of effort.

LEONARDO DICAPRIO, 39

Excuse us, but is this Leonardo DiCaprio or Leonardo da Vinci? The Wolf Of Wall Street star sprouted a forest on his face when he was honoured for his environmental activism at the Clinton Global Citizen award ceremony last Sunday. But did he have to look like he had also been roughing it out in the wild? The irony is, he now probably has to use more water to keep all that facial hair clean.

DANIEL RADCLIFFE, 25

The Harry Potter star's scraggly moustache is just too patchy to be taken seriously. Spotted at the Ivy Innovator Film Awards last month, this mo appears to be a work in progress. Yes, we get it: You are no longer a boy and have the facial fuzz to prove it. But by the look of things, you are not yet a man either.

GEORGE HU, 32

Bad moustaches sometimes happen to good people, as was the case with the Taiwan-based actor-singer at the Star Awards in April. Facial hair just looks out of place on his baby face, making him look more sleazy than scruffy chic. If he is ever down to play a villain, however, this could be just the perfect look for him.

ROMEO TAN, 29

As if his get-up resembling that of a casino dealer at this year's Star Awards in April was not bad enough, the home-grown actor's moustache added to his styling woes. Wispy and sorry-looking, the pencil moustache aged him so much, it was hard to believe he is only 29. By the way, is it just us or is the mo also uneven, with one side longer than the other?

KEEP IT

PATRICK LEE, 34

Showing that he can rock both a moustache and a hat at the same time, the Taiwanese model-actor was a picture of poise at a press conference here last month. His well-groomed moustache gave him a dapper vibe, much like a young Andy Lau during his Shanghai Grand days.

ELVIN NG, 33

One of the few home-grown actors who wears a moustache well, the World At Your Feet star was spotted with a barely there mo at this year's Star Awards in April. The moustache sat pretty, thanks to his chiselled jawline and strong features. Rugged but not unkempt, it enhanced his leading man looks.

RYAN GOSLING, 33

The Gangster Squad star knows exactly how to rock a light moustache. He sported dapper facial hair at the Cannes Film Festival in May that lent his boyish features a rugged, masculine charm. The look is so popular that several how-to guides have popped up online telling guys how to grow this mo.

ROBERT DOWNEY JR, 49

The actor's mo at the premiere of Iron Man 3 in April was as carefully sculpted as a well-manicured lawn. Notice the stubble occupies only half the upper lip? This keeps the fuzz from overpowering the face. The look is complete with a soul patch just below the lower lip and chin beard - otherwise known as the Iron Man look for the uninitiated.

JAY CHOU, 35

If any Asian star can pull off a moustache, it has to be the King of Mandopop, who has been described as something of an anti-hero. While promoting a movie two years ago, the Taiwanese heart-throb sported designer stubble that screamed "I'm too cool". Yup, too cool to shave, smile or even remove his sunglasses.

Mr Fadli Osman, 30, barber at Hounds of the Baskervilles, a barber shop in Bali Lane

Has had a moustache for: Four years Role model: American wrestler and actor Hulk Hogan because he is entertaining, a wrestling legend and his moustache is blond. Grooming routine: Under five minutes. After a shower, he dries his face with a towel and combs the moustache downwards with a small comb. He says: I also have tattoos on my arms so, in comparison, my moustache gets much less of a reaction. In any case, Charlie Chaplin and Mahatma Gandhi had moustaches too. You wouldn't call them villains, right?

Mr James See, 55, executive director of a manufacturing company

Has had a moustache for: 30 years Role model: Scottish actor Sean Connery, who looked suave playing Indiana Jones' father in the 1989 movie Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade. Grooming routine: 10 minutes. Shave and trim with a small pair of scissors twice a day - in the morning before work and in the evening before going out for events. He says: I don 't think anyone will ever think of me as a villain - I smile and laugh too much. I'd look weird without my moustache. During Chinese New Year this year, I shaved it off and my family felt they were going on house visits with a stranger. I grew it back again so that they wouldn't report me as a missing person.

Mr Michael Ng, 29, public relations consultant at AKA Asia, which handles public relations for Movember Singapore

Has had a moustache for: Two years Role model: Charismatic actor Robert Downey Jr, who carries off a moustache well. Grooming routine: 10 minutes a day. First, comb it through. Then, run some wax through it. Finally, style it into the shape of a bicycle's handlebar. He says: Initially, people gave my moustache mixed reviews. Some say it makes me look a lot older, others say it suits my personality. Kissing is not a problem. My wife loves my moustache. In fact, she bans me from shaving it off. His wife, brand manager Catherine Ng, 28, says: I think the moustache makes him look distinctive and gives his face character. If I can help it, I wouldn't let him shave it off.

Mr Hariz Rosli, 27, visual artist

Has had a moustache for: Four years Role model: British-born actor Daniel Day-Lewis as Bill the Butcher in the 2002 movie Gangs Of New York. Grooming routine: Up to 10 minutes on weekdays and 40 minutes on weekends. First, wash the moustache with facial foam and pat dry, then comb to ensure the strands of hair do not clump together. Three types of wax are applied - one to soften the strands, one to hold the hairs in place and one for each end of the moustache to prevent split ends. He says: Eating food such as barbecue chicken, ribs or carbonara pasta can be problematic because the sauce can get onto my moustache. But it's not anything a napkin or a piece of tissue cannot fix. Kissing is also not a problem. After all, the only action is supposed to be below the moustache. If there's action anywhere else, you're doing it wrong.

This article was first published on September 28, 2014.
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